Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-08-26
RAvENNA,O
No Difference.

ED. NEW ERA There are in Ohio
many good Presbyterian elders and Meth
odist class leaders, and others as well, who
would shudder at the idea OF licensing the
liquor traffic, and yet they are ready TO
tax il and think they are doing right
They at once admit that to license the traf-
fic would implicate them in the evil and
criminalIty of the traffic. But somehow
or other taxation as applied 10 the at
ter is in their eyes 30 different from licens
that they may resort 10 and favor taxing
the liquor business, while no money would
hire them TO agree to license.
But we assert that license and tax, as
used in connection with the liquor busi-
ness, mean one and the same thing
| Take into account the fact that almost
anything which can be said OF the one may
be SAID with equal truihfulness of the other
and their sameness will be seen at once.
First, the amount of money in each is de-
manded by the same party, vIz:. the gov
ernment. Second, in many instances the
money IN each case ia the same in amount
Third, in each case the same party, VIZ,
the saloon keeper, pays the money, and for
the same purpose, and to the same party,
viz, the government.
Fourth, the same results follow in ench
case, viz, the sellin of liquor, the spread
ing OF ruin, the temporal aud spiritual af-
fairs, ruin for time and eternity alike. In
both cases the results IN this direction are
identical in all and every particular.
Fifth, the conditions or results wonid
be Identical in every particular upon the
non-payment oi the tax or the license fee.
Sixth, the one may be just as much of u
burden npop the liquor traffic as the other
In this sense one has no advantage over
the other. Many attempt to excuse tax
upon the ground that il is only nm expires.
sion Of public condemnation of the liquor
traffic and is TO be looked upon in The light
oi bnIdenfplaced by public sentiment
upon The traffic. But just as much MAJ
be said Tor license. Where is the differ
ence?
|
before liquor can be sold under them
THIS fact, more than all others, renders the
attempt TO put distinction between IL
cen@e and tax completely futile. When
ever the payment Of money ia followed by
II certain course OF action, which course O
aclion would be illegsl without The pay
ment OF that money, that payment of none,
can have but one meaning, but one inter
probation. You may call itlax. or licens'
or by any other name, yet they all at las
stand for the same Thing.
Here difference in name cannot in'
ply "a distinction in meaning. You ma,
call your horse COW, but you would still
mean horse when you speak the word COW
Or again you might speak The word buz,
zard in the same way and yet mean horpe
SO, fathers in Israel, you will by this sc,
that when you use the term tax you meaI
just what anyone else might mean by H.
cense.
One thing in this discussion is not Il
be overlooked. The term tax has beer
wreSted from its true and .proper meaning
and used in connection with the liquo
traffic to mean,somelhing else entirely.
EK-Gov. Foster, on the 22l Of Seplem-
, Der. 1882, made speech at West Union
( Ohio, in which he SAID: "The specific Ia,
which it is proposed to levy upon the re-
tail traffic III Intoxicating liquors bears NJ
relation TO the taxes with which the peo
pie are familiar" This was well said. AM
goes to show that tax as applied to The Ii
5 quor traffic means something different frou
the meaning which il for ages has convey
ed. Here good people are led nsray.
is a case In which the word buzzard ha
: been made 10 mean horse. The plain in
:, depreciation Of the term tax, as applied I
3 the liquor traffic. is license. You can max
. nothing else out Of 1t. This being the cas-
% it,renders people just as guilty 10 tax Il,
J. liquor traffic M to license H. BY iaxin
we here mean the same as licensing. Re
sulls give the meaning, and as we hay
seen the resnlts are the same, whether
u be called license Ortax. G. l.. w.
PORTSMOUTH, July l6, 1887.